Unwanted visitors

I was sitting in the living room of my new house, staring at the supplies stacked against the unfinished walls, when my phone suddenly started blaring with an emergency alert.

My heart felt heavy as I grabbed it. I knew it was time! Time for everything to change. Although I had supplies, I knew that the apocalypse was not fun.

[URGENT GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

Several patients described as highly aggressive and suffering from an unknown infectious condition have escaped from Reald Hospital. Citizens are advised to remain indoors and avoid contact with anyone displaying violent or unusual behavior.]

A news anchor appeared on television a few seconds later, looking pale as she read from the statement in front of her.

“We are receiving reports that 100 patients suffering from undisclosed disease escaped from Reald Hospital at approximately four o’clock this afternoon. Authorities are currently attempting to locate them. Citizens are advised not to approach anyone who appears confused, violent, or disoriented.”

The anchor paused when someone shouted in the background. The camera started shaking and the broadcast stopped so I switched to a different station.

But there was no need for me to watch tv because I knew what happened next. The first reports would be dismissed as isolated incidents and no one would take it serious for a few hours. But by the time the night ended, videos of the infected attacking people would be everywhere and hospitals would be full before getting overrun. 

By morning, everyone would know that the so-called zombie apocalypse that belonged only in movies had become real.

[Catastrophic outbreak confirmed.]

[Time since outbreak: 00:17:42.]

[Survival protocol activated.]

I stood immediately. I had been waiting for this moment but there were two people I couldn’t leave behind.

Jolie and her grandmother. Mrs. Bucket.

In my previous life, they had been among the few people who supported me when I was building the original neighborhood base.

Jolie had defended me when people complained about my rules and her grandmother had always insisted that I eat before leaving their house.

They had stood beside me when the others turned against me and I could not forget that. 

Grabbing my backpack, I headed out. The streets had already changed. Cars were moving too fast and people were running, trying to get home and also buy things. 

The stores were all crowded as people tried to stock as much as possible for whatever was coming.

A man sprinted past my car with blood covering his shirt. I locked the doors and drove as the city began to collapse.

At the next intersection, several vehicles had crashed into one another. The traffic was too much and had caused a jam. Some people even got up and left their cars on the road, frustrating everyone. 

A police vehicle sped past me in the opposite direction. Then I saw someone slam against the windshield of a stopped car. The driver screamed as the figure climbed back up very fast.

I drove past them without looking back. When I reached Jolie’s house, the front door was open.

“Jolie!”

There was no answer so I just entered. After searching through most of the house, I was disappointed there was no one. 

“Mia?”

I stopped when I heard my name. I turned and saw Jolie in the doorway Her face was so pale it made me wonder if I had come too late and she was already infected. Mrs. Bucket was sitting in a wheelchair behind her.

“Grandma’s legs aren’t working,” Jolie said, freaking out. “We couldn’t get out.”

I rushed toward them. “Are either of you bitten?”

“No!”

I believed them but checked just to be on the safe side. The system appeared again, a blue outline forming around Jolie.

[Individual identified.]

[Name: Jolie Bucket.]

[Relationship history detected.]

[Loyalty assessment: 91%.]

My eyes widened. The system moved on and scanned Mrs. Bucket.

[Individual identified.]

[Name: Leah Bucket.]

[Loyalty assessment: 96%.]

For the first time since waking up in this second life, I felt slightly happy that the system had confirmed my thoughts. Jolie and her grandmother were loyal people. They had stood beside me when there was nothing to gain. 

“You’re coming with me.”

Jolie stared at me. “Where are you going?”

“Somewhere safe,” I said. “We don’t have time.”

A few minutes later, I helped Mrs. Bucket into my vehicle while Jolie grabbed a small bag she had already packed. This time it was not easy to get back to our destination. 

The city had descended into total chaos. People were flooding the streets with luggage, children with some even holding weapons. 

Sirens blared from every direction. As I passed by the community center, I saw lots of people moving towards it. 

Victor was standing on top of a vehicle, shouting instructions.

“Everyone move to the community center!” he shouted. “It’s safer there! We have a large building and plenty of people!”

People listened and followed the directions.

I remembered the last time I had seen him standing inside my base after turning everyone against me. The memory made me feel a fresh anger all over again. 

I drove past the center as fast as possible. 

Jolie looked through the window. “Should we go there?”

“No.”

“Why?” She asked.

“It’s not safe,” I told her and continued driving.

When we reached my property, the gates opened automatically. Jolie stared, unable to believe it. Even I couldn’t believe the upgrades the system had done. The fence was now over 10ft and it felt safer than anywhere else in the city. 

The house looked very different from when I had left. The walls were stronger and the gate was heavier. Construction lights illuminated parts of the property showing that the system had been working while I was gone.

[Fortification progress: 47%.]

[Perimeter defense upgraded.]

[Emergency power system operational.]

I smiled.

“Welcome home.” It said.

“This is a really nice place,” Jolie said. She had been staring at everything in awe ever since we walked through the gates. The place looked like something out of a dream, like those luxury houses you see on real housewives.

[The apocalypse has started.] The system told me.

[Kill the infected to gain more points.]

After showing Jolie everything, she prepared dinner for us all and we ate like a family. The way we used to eat during the last apocalypse. Unfortunately, I was the only who remembered. They had no idea that id experienced the apocalypse before.

In my previous life, I couldn’t sleep well because I was always worrying about everyone’s safety. Now I was locked up in my own house and I had a system to warn me in case of anything. 

I slept so well that night, as if the apocalypse wasn’t even a thing. I was woken by rude banging on my gate. I sat up as the system alerted me.

[Two individuals approaching.]

I got up from the bed and went to check the monitor. I started laughing when I saw Daniel and Hannah. 

Getting up I removed my night clothes and put on a light pink tank top and a pair of black jeans. Tying my hair up, I went out of the house.

“Do you know them?” Jolie asked as I passed by the living room where she was watching TV. 

“Yes.”

“Are you going let them in?” She asked. “The world is going crazy out there.” There was real fear in her eyes and shaky voice. “Look. People are dying.”

On the screen were men fighting in a grocery story. Suddenly the screen went dark. 

“That was the only station working!” Jolie said, putting her hands on her head.

Leaving her to freak out, I went outside. Daniel shouted from outside the gate.

“Mia!”

I walked toward the gate. “What?”

“Let us in!”

From my security screen, I could see Hannah standing beside Daniel, clutching his arm. They looked scared.

Daniel stepped forward. “Please let us in. We know you’ve prepared this place,” he continued. “We know you have supplies.”

“We can help,” Hannah added.

The system appeared over their heads.

[Scanning individuals.]

A moment later:

[Daniel Kerry.]

[Loyalty assessment: 7%.]

[Hannah Lewis.]

[Loyalty assessment: 3%.]

Staring at the numbers, I laughed. Even the system could tell that these two were a waste of space.

Daniel put his hands against the gate. “Mia, please.”

“No.”

“What? Hannah is your friend and I’m your boyfriend. How can you lock me out?”

“Leave my gate”

“Why do you hate us?” Hannah asked.

“I don’t hate you.”

“Then let us in.”

“No. I don’t trust you.”

Daniel’s voice became desperate. “You can’t leave us out here. Mia, the city is falling apart! We’ll die!”

I looked at him through the security camera.

“You might,” I said with a chuckle.

In the last time, he had chosen Hannah. In fact, I had found out they had cheated on me before the apocalypse. 

“Go to the community center.” I told them. “Victor Smith is there. He’ll take you in.”

“You’ll regret this.” Daniel barked.

I just laughed as they turned and walked away. As they disappeared down the road, the system spoke again.

[Threat removed from immediate perimeter.]

[Base security maintained.]